Open the Spleen Pill

Gyebi-won

한글 계비원 · Pinyin Qi Pi Yuan

啓脾元

Pill formula, bulk amounts: powdered and mixed with honey, each nyang divided into ten pills; one pill chewed and sent down with thin rice water.

Composition 構成

Gamcho Gan Cao
甘草 감초 · Licorice

60 g
Chief 君
Insam Ren Shen
人蔘 인삼 · Ginseng

40 g
Deputy 臣
Baekchul Bai Zhu
白朮 백출 · White Atractylodes

40 g
Deputy 臣
Cheongpi Qing Pi
靑皮 청피 · Green Tangerine Peel

40 g
Assistant 佐
Jinpi Chen Pi
陳皮 진피 · Aged Tangerine Peel

40 g
Assistant 佐
Singok Shen Qu
神麴 신곡 · Medicated Leaven

40 g
Assistant 佐
Maea Mai Ya
麥芽 맥아 · Barley Sprout

40 g
Assistant 佐
Sain Sha Ren
砂仁 사인 · Amomum

40 g
Assistant 佐
Geongang Gan Jiang
乾薑 건강 · Dried Ginger

40 g
Assistant 佐 blast-fried
Hubak Hou Po
厚朴 후박 · Magnolia Bark

40 g
Assistant 佐

Total 420 g per packet (첩) · representative dosage — verify against source texts.

Received this formula from your practitioner? Amounts shown here are classical reference values — granule and prepared products differ. Always follow your prescribed dosage and directions.

Actions 效能

Restores a disharmony between Spleen and Stomach
Brings back the thought of food

Indications 主治

Pattern-based

Spleen and Stomach out of harmony (脾胃不和)
Able to think of food again — appetite restored (可思飮食)
Digestive weakness with poor appetite

Biomedical correlates

Poor appetite with digestive weakness
Functional dyspepsia
Convalescent appetite loss

Source text 原文

Donguibogam 東醫寶鑑

治脾胃不和, 可思飮食. 甘草一兩半, 人參ㆍ白朮ㆍ靑皮ㆍ陳皮ㆍ神麴ㆍ麥芽ㆍ縮砂ㆍ乾薑(炮)ㆍ厚朴各一兩. 右爲末, 蜜和, 每一兩作十丸, 米飮嚼下一丸. 《奇效》

Translation

Treats Spleen and Stomach out of harmony, so that one can think of food again. Licorice 1 nyang 5 don; ginseng, white atractylodes, green tangerine peel, tangerine peel, medicated leaven, barley sprout, amomum, blast-fried dried ginger, and magnolia bark, 1 nyang each. Powder the above and mix with honey, dividing each nyang into ten pills; chew one pill and send it down with thin rice water. — Gihyo 奇效 (Donguibogam · Naesang)

Clinical commentary 臨床

Licorice at chief's rank is unusual and deliberate — an ounce and a half of it holding together a formula that is otherwise all movers and dryers, so that opening the appetite does not scour the stomach it is opening. The indication is stated as an outcome rather than a symptom: *able to think of food again*, which is how this chapter measures recovery throughout. — Eui Young (Justin) Chung, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.